The Truth Ch 1
by lilg7
Summary: There is only one way to save a soul that has been taken, you have to find the demon that took the soul, and kill them. I don't stand a chance as I am against Hanna, but I know who can, I know that Sebastian can win in a fight with her.Don't worry, I will save you from the depths, my majesty," I say to my self with determination and resolve echoing in my voice. ClaudeXAlios Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

Claud and Alois: The truth

by ~keadastar

Chapter 1: truce

I am empty inside. That damn demon was right. All Alois wanted was to be loved, and now I see that all I really wanted, was to give him that love. I look around me, it was miraculous that despite the large land slide, the rocks missed my weak point, and Hanna made it out before any rocks came down. That coward. She preaches about honor and, this is how she respects Alois's wishes. She was the lucky one who held his love in her hands. Even I would lay my life on the ground for that. And now, I have Sebastian to thank for keeping me alive, for giving me a second chance to make things right with Alois. I sit up, ignoring the rocks that are crushing my legs and the stinging pain of the blade used to immobilize me temporarily. I move the boulders and attempt to stand. I have to use the wall of rocks behind me to steady my self. I breath through the pain and close my eyes and try to imagine Alois and his angelic voice. But all I could remember was his tears that I bluntly turned away from. I shook the image from my head. "Don't worry, I will save you from the depths, my majesty," I say to my self with determination and resolve echoing in my voice.

There is only one way to save a soul that has been taken, you have to find the demon that took the soul, and kill them. But I know Hanna is a first rate demon. The highest of classes, just by how she handled her self. I can't stand a chance as I am, but I know who can, I know that Sebastian can win in a fight with her. I need his help before I can ever think about doing any thing else. With a plan firmly locked in my head I take my first step and my knee gives out, and I nearly fall. Gripping the wall behind me, I pull my self up, and use that as a crutch as I stumble my way down the mountain side.

Finally I came to a clearing and had to stop. The blood was trailing down my waist and onto the floor. It is like calling wild animals to dinner. I look around for some wood to start a fire, to maybe get heated up and warmed. The fire is slow and doesn't throw back much heat until it starts to get really high. That is when I start to take off my coat, butler vest and my under shirt. The wound Sebastian gave me has not heeled yet. But I would rather have a wound in need of healing, then die and not have this chance. I take a shiny golden knife from my jacket pocket and put the blade in the fire. While I wait for the blade to heat up I rip a part of my coat and start to clean the blood around my wound. Once I was certain that the blood was gone, I took my knife that is hot enough to burn human flesh and put it to my wound. I hiss and scream in pain. But I force my self to be silent. I slowly continue the painful and tedious act of burning my wound close.

It takes me the better half of the night to finally get the wound closed and I just lay there not bothering to feed the dying fire. I am gripping my jacket, the pain in my chest where I had to close the wound burned and the pain just racks my body. I lay there and look up to the night sky. The stars are shining brightly above me and the moon send silhouettes onto me. I decide to shut my eyes and partake in the luxury of sleep. After all I need some strength before I go out on the soul hunt later. I will need food if I have to continue my journey. Finally I feel myself drift off to sleep and dreams of another time where love consumed me.

When I woke up, the sun was high in the sky, and my wound didn't hurt any more, in fact now, it is just a bad scar. I get up and put on my under shirt once again I transport myself into a town. There are many people, many dispirit people who have nothing else in life going for them besides death. I walk up to one girl who is crying over something or other and offer her my hand. "Hello miss. Do you need help?" I ask her with a sweet voice. She shakes her head. I kneel down and take her in a hug. She cries on my shoulder as I whisper, "I can make the pain go away, if you only you say so,"

She stops her crying and looks up at me before shaking her head yes once. That is when I sink my teeth into her neck and suck out her soul. I leave her there and move on to my next target. I repeat that processes at least three more times before I feel fully rejuvenated. Then I transport myself back to the demon island. I decide to leave my clothes where I left them, some one will find them and be able to use them. But I decide to go find Sebastian. I will be trained to defeat Hanna and I will kill her.

I find my way to a manor. It is relatively huge and is surrounded by white roses and perfectly trimmed lawn and bushes. This has to be it. He is the only one who can have a lawn that can get even the most cold hearted demons talking in jealousy. I walk up to the door and knock on the dangling knocker. It wasn't long before I heard steps coming up to the door. When it opens I see a short child with dark blue hair, and dressed up in traditional old English noble man suit. It was Ciel. The only difference now would be that he has crimson red eyes.

"What you doing here?" Ciel says to me with an angry tone. Yeah sure we didn't get off to the right start when we met, in fact, when we met he was sure I was ready to kill him and take his soul, and I did torture him out of his soul, and that could be where we went wrong.

I sigh and put my hands up in the air as I say, "I need to talk to Sebastian." I try to give a sincere smile but he just rolls his eyes and huffs before calling Sebastian to the door. He comes in an untraditional butler out fit. His tie is loose, his shirt has the top two buttons undone and he lost his butler vest all together, and his hair is a little more scruffy. His eyes has this piercing power and his smile makes you think of death itself. This look would be why he is one of the most feared demons in the realm.

"Hello Claude, you're late," Sebastian speaks calmly and cleverly. Ciel put his hands on his hips and gets this shocked and angry look on his face. "Excuse me? What do you mean by late?" Ciel asks him. Sebastian just smiles to him and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Ciel, I left him alive so he can learn something I have learned along time ago." Sebastian says as he kneels down to him and pulls him into a hug that Ciel rejects so he can whisper to him loud enough so I can just barley hear it, "And if he tries anything I really will kill him." then kisses his cheek.

I rolled my eyes and look away. "What ever you say," Ciel says as I hear him walk away. I look back to Sebastian who is taking off his coat and rolling up his sleeve. He smiles to me and he lets his fangs show. For some reason, the thought of him getting serious and getting down to it scares me. I can see him killing me, and turning around with that same smile on his face. That thought sends shivers down my spine.

"Don't expect me to hold back" Sebastian says as he leads me out to the big back yard. I chuckle in response to him. "Don't make it too easy now," I say to him.

Ciel is already outside making a statue out of white roses, and it looks amazing. As I am distracted by Ciel's art work, I feel a punch to my side. I fall to my knees and jump back up quickly. "Rule one in fighting a first rate demon, they don't play fair, so keep on your toes," Sebastian says as he walks around me and disappears.

I heighten my senses and feel him above me. Quickly, I jump away and disappear around a tree before coming back and going to kick Sebastian in the back. However, he is too quick. He moves out of the way and grabs me by my neck and pins me down holding me down by throat. "Rule two, never use a move that will put you at any disadvantage," Sebastian says before letting me get up and extending his hand as if to help me up. I take it and he throws me across the yard before yelling, "Oh yeah, and they can never be trusted."

That is when Ciel perks up interest and pulls up a chair. I get up and brush it off. His hits aren't to bad, or at least not crippling, but I will have some nasty bruises in the morning. I stand up straight before transporting behind him and grabbing Sebastian in a choke hold. Sebastian then did something I did not expect, he dropped all his weight and landed on his back. I fall with him and he uppercuts me and I let go of him. "Better, again." he says as he stand up.

We keep fighting, and my main goal is to take notes on how he fights me, and work a strategy out of that. I notice how he watches my arms mainly and if I switch it up, he grabs me. So I know that my punches are more effective then my kicks and if I tone them, I can be unstoppable. I hold back to focus on his moves a little more until he pins me down one last time and Ciel calls off his wild dog.

"Sebastian, wrap it up. I don't want him in my yard any more," Gets up and walks inside. Sebastian stops kicking my ass like a loyal dog and picks me up. "very well then, I will set him up in the guest bed room," Sebastian says before starting to lead me to the house. I hear Ciel huff deeply. I know I am not welcome here from him. "Does he have to stay here?" Ciel complains.

My mentor chuckled deeply, "Yes Ciel, he must because he needs to train to kill Hanna," Sebastian says. I don't know when me and him formed this friendship, but he seems to know what I am after, probably because he was after the same thing. I also don't know when he agreed to help me, or even know what my problem is, but I am grateful to him for letting me in his home and training me. Ciel just keeps walking a head and Sebastian takes me to my room.

"Don't mind him, he is still mad about the entire you switching his soul for your little boyfriend's" Sebastian smiles apologetically for Ciel. I shrug as if to its okay. "get some sleep, you will need it for tomorrow. Your training intensifies." He tells me as he turns around and without looking at me he continues, "Oh and next time we spar, don't hold back so much. We need to train your full potential because that is what you need to use against her, not your third rate battle tactics."

I wasn't expecting such a blunt response to my fighting from him. During the scruff with him when I had Ciel's soul, that was my full potential and yeah I got a lot of great hits and I was able to evade a lot of bad ones, but that was it, and I know Sebastian was holding back in all our fights. I know he has the potential to wring my neck and stuff me like a chicken if he really wanted to. "Alright, I think I got enough notes," I say as we part our ways and I curl into bed for another full night's sleep.

The morning comes too soon, and I open my eyes. The sun hit me and I rolled out of bed. I got dressed and put on my glasses, and slicked my hair back. I say my silent promise to Alois and recite the Trancy butler's way. I turn around and I head out. I see Sebastian sitting on a love seat with Ciel laying in his lap. They are both smiling and I hear something rare for Ciel, I hear his laughter. I stand by the corner a moment more. Sebastian leans down and kisses him before helping him sit up. I walk out and nod to them both. Ciel looks away with his normal disgusted look. Sebastian chuckles and greets me back.

"When do you want to start?" Sebastian says to me an arm still around Ciel. "When ever," I reply.

Ciel cuddles into Sebastian with a cute face and kisses his cheek. I sigh lightly. The lovey dovey stuff makes me think of Alois. He would always try something, and I would always turn away from him. Just like when he would be hurt or sad, and I wouldn't even pay him any attention. I bite my tongue and refrain from saying anything to them. Ciel whispers to Sebastian loud enough for me to hear (and I think that is the point) "Make sure to whip him good," He traces his fingers over Sebastian's chest before continuing, "And I'll give you a reward." that is when he licks over Sebastian's lips and Sebastian raises an eye brow at him with a smile. That tells me that my training will be hell today…

We Walk out to the back yard and I see the bushes are in the shape of a maze. I see a note on the entrance of the maze that read: "enter but beware your every step, for the next turn may be your last." I turn around and Ciel is sitting in his normal lawn chair with an umbrella over his head getting a tan, but Sebastian is gone. I sigh and enter the maze. Just as I take my first few steps the entrance closes and there is no turning back now.

I come to the first turn and I uncaringly go right. Suddenly, I hear something behind me. Something that resembles the ground parting, but I feel nothing under my feet. I look back and see spikes coming up from the ground. I go to take off running and three spikes appear from the bush next to me and nearly skewer me. One catches my arm and cuts it deeply. But I decide to ignore it and keep moving. So, I use the spikes as a ladder and run on top of the bushes as the spikes on the ground follow me, but doesn't come any where close to me.

My face twists into a small smile as I look back and see where the spikes end and leads into a circle. As I am looking away, I feel a sharp punch hit my side and fall to the ground uncovered by the spikes. I stand up and look around me. I can't see anything but I know Sebastian is about to fight me, for real this time. I can hear his foot prints every where all around me. I try to pin point him as I pull out golden knives from my the cuffs of my shirts. I can feel Sebastian's aura as he throws his own weapons and I jump up and toss my knives into the bushes. I hear them make contact with something and then I feel a fork hit my leg. "Damn it…" I think to myself, "He is the true definition of 'Ninja'." I see him smile as he jumps out off the bushes to the next station. I lean down and pull the fork out of my leg and start walking to the next insane obstacle.

I come to a cross roads again and this time I hesitate slightly before going left. The way in front is clear, in fact it looks like the way out. I raise my eyebrow and turn around just to make sure nothing plans to pop out of the ground. I turn back around and take a few more steps forward. That is when I feel the bushes start to shift. I bolt for the exit and then every thing is black. The door is shut behind me and the entrance vanishes. I hear something above me and look up. That was my mistake, the ground flew open under me. I grabbed the edge and pulled my self up. I climbed onto the thin strip of land next to the bush and keep going forward. The floor gives in at different times and I quickly learn that I can't trust the one spot I stand in. But I eventually make it through and find my self in another circle.

Sounds again come from the bushes, but this time lighter, and faster. My mind can't process where they are coming from because once I can tell I hear another one on the other side. So I shut my eyes and rely on my instincts to guide me. I can hear a weapon coming at me so I move. I hear it lodge itself in a tree. I hear another one but this time from the other side of me, so I jump. Again it misses me. I finally can pinpoint the sound and toss my own weapon. I hear it go into the flesh and the footsteps stop. I open my eyes and I see Sebastian jumping away this time with a shiny golden knife in his shoulder. I smile at my accomplishment and walk back into the maze.

I wonder the maze for what seems like hours. I have been in and out of battles with Sebastian, and I made him break a sweat this time. The traps get harder and less obvious. Sebastian is gradually getting faster and quieter, and I am gradually heightening my senses and fighting skill. I come to yet another fork in the road. The right seems safe, so look to the left. It looks dangerous and treacherous, so I take left. I touch the branches lightly to make sure no poisons spit out the leaves, I look up to make sure there are no spikes falling from the sky, I look in front of me thoroughly to make sure there are no killer bees ready to sting me, I jump on the ground roughly jut to see if it can really hold my weight, then just for kicks I look behind me just to make sure I don't get ransacked by a rodeo bull. That is when I decide to move forward. I feel something almost like a bolder moving behind me so I jumps one the branches and doge the spikes that come up at my heals through the wood as I keep running . I hear something above me and I see small chakrams coming for me from different directions. I evade them expertly and keep on my heals so I don't run into a spike. I see poison darts heading straight for me. I duck and do the matrix to avoid them. One of the Chakrams spin into my back and pushes me into a spike, but I ignore it and keep going. Finally I see the end. There is yet another battlefield set up for me and Sebastian.

I jump into the circle and I see him, as plain as day, but it is not him, it is his demon form. He has nine inch thin heals and black pants with chains that have a slight fiery red glow to them with a simple black shirt toped with a dark red burgundy trench coat that flows behind him with solid black crow wings growing from his shoulder blades. He his holding a sword that has been lit ablaze in one hand with a smile that shows his long fangs and eyes narrow like those of cat, glowing a bright mauve color. "You made it, good." Sebastian speaks with a deep growl.

As intimidating he looks, I don't let it show. Instead, I even the playing field. I toss off my glasses and let my hair grow out behind me as my cloths shift to a dark purple vest and black baggy pants holding my own golden sword. My own jacket materializes on me, one that cuts off at my abdomen and my eyes also narrow and shine a bright crimson red.

Slowly, I pull my sword before swiftly slashing the air. Sebastian just seems to vanish. I can't sense him, hear him, or see him. So I encase my self in a web I feel it heating up and I disable the web and see Sebastian above me. I jump to meet him and we clash swords. I send out a web from my hands and encase his left arm and start to constrict it. He recoils with encasing my whole web in flames from his sword. I go to kick him and he doges. He reaches for me with his fingers that resemble talons. I swerve and slash at him with my sword. He barley gets out of my reach. He spins and puts me in a choke hold. So I wrap his entire body with my web and kick his sword away from him. Again, he vanishes.

I let my self fall to the ground. and stand there, waiting, sensing his next move. I spin around quickly to stop a beam of flames from hitting me. But they move and circle me. I go to jump out, but the flames cover me, locking me in cage. I weave another web around me and use my sword to cut through the fire. I see Sebastian and twirl before knocking his sword out of his hand and put my blade to his throat. I get a cocky smile on my face. "Gotcha," I say. The bushes sink into the ground. I start to lower my weapon thinking we are done. I turn around and sense yet another attack coming from him. I spin around and keep the point to Sebastian's neck as I feel his claw like fingers nearly digging into my sealed wound. "I would call this a draw," Sebastian says as he shifts out of his demon form.

I turn back into my normal self too, and my sword vanishes. And we walk off back to the mansion. It wasn't until I sat down on their step did I realize how much pain I was in. "that is the kind of pain you will feel if you live the fight, a few more weeks of this, and you will be ready in no time," smiles to me as he kneels and kisses Ciel. I sigh and look up at the sky.

"It is good to see some one like him in pain, it humors me" I hear Ciel say. Sebastian chuckles. Once I find Alois, I will have the same happiness, at least, I would like that. I zone out their flirtatious talk and think about my majesty, my king, my god, my Alois. What if it is to late, what if I loose to Hanna, what if he really does hate me. The thoughts scare me. And I force them out of my head. "I am going to clean up" I say and get up and walk away.

The training is now spiked in difficulty. It went to moderate to rough, then to next to imposable. But I am doing good. I put Sebastian down on his back several times in our demon form, and I can now sense him when he vanishes, I can tell where he goes, and I can hear him in his human form no matter what. I feel stronger and I feel more up to the challenge then I did at the beginning of things. Even Ciel gave me a congratulations, that must mean I am getting better.

Today is the day I "graduate" from my training and the day before I start my journey to find Hanna. Ciel went off to hunt and kill time, while me and Sebastian do a few more training rounds. We are fighting in human form so it is nothing to serious, in fact it is just a review.

He throws a punch and says to me, "what can you never do?" I block it expertly and reply, "Never trust your opponent, never let your guard down, Never turn your back on them unless you know they are dead." he sends a kick my way and I doge. "good, what else?" he asks me pulling out his knives and tries to jab me. "Never go for the obvious kill, it could lead you into a death trap. Keep on your heels, and never assume your stance, your form or your hit is perfect, you can always hit harder, move faster, and be more balanced then your opponent" I answer as I put him in choke hold, trip him and toss him over my shoulder.

Sebastian lands on his feet and runs back at me tossing a knife. "Better, keep it up," Sebastian says as I catch the knife and jump in the air and tosses back at him using the blunt end to trip and land next to him grabbing his hands putting them behind his back and grabbing one leg. "Also rendering them immobile is the best time to go for the kill," I say keeping him there until he taps out.

I get up and he shakes my hand, "Good. You are defiantly ready," he says with a smile. I nod to him and we walk back to the house. We are silent for a moment more before I speak again, "Sebastian… did you ever do something to hurt Ciel, to the point were you thought forgiveness was a thin strand of hope?"

I see him think back before sighing heavily. "Yeah. It was before you took his soul. I was getting ready to fight an angel, and I had to train, so I left him in France. When I came back I found out that he had lost his way back home, and because of that he cried for the first time since his child hood, and then on top of all that, he got shot by the Queen's guards," He tells me.

His normal smile slowly disappears and our voices fall to a slight whisper, "How did you get him back?" I asked, hoping he could give me some help. He chuckled, but it wasn't because it was funny, the sadness of the memory still shines on his face. "By doing what you are going to do. I fought for him, I protected him, up until his last breath," he says to me, 'That and I had luck on my side. Ciel lost his memory when I got the soul back from you. And we haven't spoke of his first human life since." He smiles and pats my back before nodding and heading inside. I go to my room and fall asleep. Tomorrow is one of the biggest days I will ever face.

When the morning comes I walk out of my room and into the living room. I am to preoccupied with the thought of killing Hanna that I ignore the fact that Ciel is on Sebastian's lap playing with his hair as Sebastian runs his fingers across his thighs and whisper complements that I can't hear. I can just see the deep red blush and his sheepish laugh that only comes from flattery. I just walk to the door and waves. I turn to shut the door and I see Sebastian wave and Ciel shoos me off. And I start the long journey to find her and get back the only thing that means anything to me, the sweet Alois.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: My Alois

I traveled for three days before I caught the aura of something foul. Now I have to make sure I have everything I need. I decide to visit the human realm for a few more souls. I fish them from the mentally week, and those who have nothing to live for. I get a total of twelve, and leave their bodies in the street. With a satisfied stomach, and the training Sebastian gave me, I am more then ready to fight Hanna for Alois's soul.

But before I return to the demon realm, I visit Alois's grave. I place my hand on the tree that covers the body of both him and his brother. I place my hand on the soil. The soil seems to be extremely rich and fertile. That means the body will be completely in tacked. The Soil more then likely cocooned him and kept him in a mummified state. "I will come for you, I promise," I say before transporting myself to back to the demon realm.

I follow the putrid aura of Hanna all the way up to a castle that nearly screamed the fact that she lived there. The entrance was in the form of a spider maze, she had a giant statue of her next to the courtyard, and the Gothic ambiance is over whelming. With servants (or minions) on each level to the castle. I take a deep breath before walking up to the first obstacle, a white picket fence encased with black roses and purple vines.

Slowly, I open the gate and observe my surroundings. I take a step into the maze and from the over head arch, two huge axes start swinging like a pendulum. I quickly jump forward and expect something like spikes or rotating saws to spin from the floor so I head to the top of the bushes. To my surprise little spiders started crawling up my legs and eating away at my pant leg. I decide to ignore them and keep running. I come to a huge wall that extends far beyond my jumping reach and two doors down below me.

I jump down and look behind me to make sure no wild bull will be charging at me. I see an envelope that reads, "To: guest." I pick it up and open it. The letter inside reads:

Dear guest, you have entered the domain of Hanna, a first rate demon know to capture and torture lost souls of human and demons alike. If you wish pay me a visit, chose the right answers to the following questions. What spider is the most venomous toxins, but can not kill humans?

"Pholcus phalagiodes, more commonly know as the Daddy long legs," I say out loud answering her question.

One of the doors open and I feel something deadly coming at me from the air so I run into the door and hundreds of bombs go off in the same place where I was standing just moments ago. The door closes behind me and again, I feel another threatening presence near. I get into a fighting stance and pull out my knives before closing my eyes and letting my instincts take over. I can hear the faint sound of foot steps in the bushes near by, small breaths of anticipation of blood shed, and the brushing of cotton against cotton. Finally I can pinpoint my enemy and I throw the knife into the shadow. I hear a squeal of pain and I open my eyes. It is a young demon girl. I got her where her heart would be if she was human. She falls to her knees and I walk up to her putting a knife to her throat. "Where is your master? What way do I need go?" I ask commandingly.

The skittish demon girl dries her tears and calms her chin from shaking uncontrollably. It is obvious that this is her first fight in a long while. The fear consumers her tear stained eyes. She slowly raises her shaky finger pointing down a clumsy path. "Are you lying to me?" I ask elevating my voce with a deep angry growl. The young demon girl flinches away from me and turns her head in fear before crying, "No I swear, please spare m-"

I didn't let her finish her sentence instead I slit her throat and tear her head clean off with my bare hands. Then Stylishly hanging it on a vine, as if sending a message to not get my way, then I walk down the path she pointed out to me.

The path is laid with black and crimson colored roses. I avoid the poison darts that spit out from the branches as I coolly walk through the path. I feel nothing particularly dangerous around me until I get to the next door with the next riddle. I pick up the purple piece of paper and read the blood red writing. It reads:

The venom that comes from loosing one's mate. With the bloody hour glass ticking their own time away, they have nothing better to do then sleep away the days. What is the name for such person in this state?

I roll my eyes at the simplicity of these so called riddles. "A Widow," I say and see a forest green door open up. Again I feel the since of danger and run out of range of what ever it is. I look behind me to see spinning blades come up from the ground. They are barley nipping at my heels. I finally come to a small clearing were I start to hear foot steps and feel the presence of another demon. I pull out my knives and jump to avoid the spinning blades on the floor. They grind against each other and make screeching noises draining out the sounds of the demon near by.

Standing on a branch high above the spinning blades I focuses my senses on the demon surrounding me. I hear two pairs of foot steps, two separate breaths and small whispers. I pin point the location of one demon and strike him down in a heart beat, the second one is a little more difficult. He manages to get out of the bushes and charges me. I block him expertly and toss him into the spinning blades under me. He screams in pain as the other one comes wobbling out of the bushes and attempts to stop me. I put him in a choke hold and force him to his knees. That is when I reach into his chest with my bare hands and pull out his blue, cold heart that hasn't beaten since the demon's life began. The body falls to the ground and I throw the heart into the blades and watch it be torn to millions of pieces, and I walk away.

I take the roughest route to the castle and encounter more hard ships along the way, and the battles get progressively harder. Thankfully, I was trained for speed and stamina. These trials are nothing compared to the hell Sebastian put me through during our training. So I breeze past the pathetic riddles, the tricked out maze, and battles with random good for nothing slaves, until I reach the foot of the stairs.

"Hanna! Show your self you coward!" I yell into the large castle. I hear a laughter echo me. I can't pin point her exact location, but then again, I never really could do that with Sebastian when he would put forth the effort to keep hidden. The best I could do was guess and throw away a lot of my knives and hope to hit something.

"You are calling me a coward when you are the one who runs from the only thing that's ever loved you because of your own greed?" She called to me from her hiding spot, "Feh, I am not afraid of a third rate demon like yourself."

I get into a fighting stance and get ready to draw my weapons. "Then you have nothing to worry about. Get down and clean this pest from your door step you spineless maggot," I say taunting her to reveal herself. That is when I feel a tremendous amount of power just accumulate from somewhere behind me. I quickly jump out of the way and toss my forks toward that general direction.

I suddenly hear something right behind me. I feel a strong arm wrap around my neck and start to crush my wind pipe. I lace my feet between her s and trip her. As she goes down I turn my body and go for a swift punch to the throat, but she doges it.

She chuckles evilly and smiles to me. "So you're a third rate demon with second rate fighting skill, Clever." She says as digs into dress and pulls out two hand guns and fires at me. I flip away from the shower of bullets and retaliate with my own knives. She bounces away from me and balances herself on the railing of her castle.

"Tell me, are you here to get back the soul I rightfully stole from you, or just to get revenge for taking it?" She asks me as she jumps in the air and starts shooting at me. I keep dogging them until she vanished. "If you want the truth, I have come to retrieve his soul, and bring him back!" I say into the nothingness that surrounds me. I try to keep quite so I can hear her.

My choice is to close my eyes and heighten all my senses. I can hear everything around me. The rustle in the bushes, the foot steps of her other minions, and the sound of my faint breath. But I can't since her any where. I can't hear her foot steps, feel her aura, or even since her general area. I stumble in the dark and try so hard to keep my self under control. I open my eyes and rely on my sight. I can't see her. It is like she really did vanish into thin air. I bite my lip and wait.

I don't have to wait long. I hear the click of her small hand gun and the change in the chamber. That is when I hear a loud bang and I feel the tearing of muscle as the bullet in lodges itself in my knee cap. I feel the bone shatter as I try to contain a scream of pain. I try to ignore it and toss my knife in that direction.

Gripping my knee and trying to stay focused on the fight, I spin to meet her right behind me. "And why would he want to come back to you? You're helpless, weak, worthless. I am sure his soul would rather be locked in a chamber of hate then see you again," She says as she circles me like a buzzard gathering around their prey. I Stand up, grab her by her long and silvery hair and run her throw with my knife before growling in her ear, "You may be right about me. But I have to see him again. And you're no better than I, Hanna. You just wanted his soul to spite me. You and I both know you'd be as weak as an insect if you hadn't taken him," with that, I smash her head into a wall hard enough to break through it and threw her across the room; knowing I had to be quick to get in another hit.

I feel Hanna's energy start to gather, and I see her normal purple and white dress turn into a black leather dominatrix outfit. One of her servants run over and reach in her mouth and pull out her long green sword. She rips it from their hands and slays them on the spot. I my self turn demonic and change forms. I let my hair fly out behind me, and my clothes change as my sword materializes in my hand. "So you think you can play with the big kids huh?" She speaks in a her normal tone but with a sinister growl behind it, "Show me what you got." Then she charges me.

We clash swords and Hanna goes to kick me. I Use her sword to push me up. I land on her roof and send out a series of webs and warp them around her neck and start to squeeze. She starts to have problems breathing until she cuts the web and jumps at me. I block her with my sword. I look down at her hand placement and notice she is only using one hand. I frantically try to locate her other hand. But it is futile. Until, however I feel a steel barrel at my side. I attempt to spin to escape her grasp but she blocks me with her sword. I try to back up, but instead I hear her pull the trigger, and I feel the small silver bullet rip through my rib cage and tear out my other side. I fall to my knees in pain, and look up at her.

Hanna points her sword to my throat and smiles. "Now you are at your rightful spot. On your knees before your superiors," Hanna says as she points the tip of her sword to my neck. "Now beg me to spare your life." She pushes he sword into my shoulder and gives me a deep gash in my arm, but I stay silent. "If you do not intend to beg, then I guess your end is here." She says as she cocks her sword back.

"No!" I shout with a hateful growl in my voice, "On the contrary, your end is near!" I grip my hilt and stab here through her gut and push the tip into the wall. She screams in pain and tries to get out, but that just causes a bigger gash in her gut. I move in close to her and bite her neck looking for Alois's soul. "He won't come back to you!" She yell, "He gave his soul to be with his brother! Why would he give that up now?" She screams as I keep searching her soul gallery.

I eat the souls that I don't care about and then I find his. My sweet Alois. I take his soul from her and transpose it into his ring that I kept in my pocket. I pull back and let the screaming demon catch her breath. Hanna tries to pull the sword out of her but she can't. I took half her life support, and she has become weakened from the fight. I grip the ring close to me and start to turn away. "Alois will never accept you," She speaks with no breath from the screaming, "How could he accept a glutinous fool like you? He was happy there! He is with his family!"

Anger was the first emotion to hit me so ran back to her in the blink of an I I was pushing the blade deeper in her and twisting it. Hanna tries to muffle her screams as she speaks, "He gave up everything! He gave up life, he gave up all the money he wanted, he even gave up what he felt for you, just to be with his brother again. Who are you to take that away!" She lets out a horrifying shriek. that's when it hit me. I still have Ciel's old ring as well. So I bite her neck again.

Hanna's power begins to visibly fade as I continue the search for Luka's soul when her cries for mercy and help diminish to whimpers out due to her lack of air to scream. I find Luka, and place his soul into Ciel's old ring. I pull out my sword knowing Hanna is to weak to stand. I feel something grip on the back of my leg and I look down at her. "please…" She begs, "Please save me… please don't leave me…"

As I look down at my mortal enemy I question my true intentions here. Seeing her on her knees, weakened, fragile like a small doll on a stand. I give her a devious smile and turn to her. "you know you look rather pathetic right now. But because you asked me so very nicely," I as putting my sword down. "thank you, thank you so much, you're so gracious to the meek like me," She grabs my pant leg as I kneel down next her.

"Because you are so meek, and worthless, then…" I pull her into a hug and wrap my arm around her. Hanna strokes my back as if clinging to the last strands of life. "Then I will make it look like you passed on in dignity," I say as I dig my claws into the back of her neck and grab her spinal cord. Swiftly I pull and her head comes off at the bone.

I change back to my human form and transport my self back to Alois and Luka's grave. I dig up their bodies. Surprisingly Luka's body is fully together. My guess was the soil got so fertile after the fire that the nutrients mummified the body completely. If this land was to never be used, in fifty years, the body would look the same. I Slipped the ring on Luka's finger.

The small boy let out a small groan. His eyes opens and he looks at me with curiosity. "Who are you?" Luka asks me. "My name is Claude. I retrieved you from your demon Hanna, along with your brother," I explain to him. But all he heard was brother because he jumps from my arms and goes to run. He falls down and starts crying. I pick him up and lean him against the tree. "Please try not to move, your body is brittle. You have been dead for nearly four years," I tell him before digging up Alois.

Alois also looks the exact same. He has the platinum blonde hair and his porcelain skin stained by the dirt. I slowly run my fingers across the edge of his face and down his shoulder to his delicate hand scared at the knuckles. I slip the ruby ring onto his small finger and I watch his small body fill with life. His chest starts to move up and down in rhythm to his heart beat. Thankfully he hasn't been gone as long as his brother, so he isn't so weak. Alois slowly twitches his fingers and rubs his eyes like he has just woken up from a long nap. When he opens his eyes I wit back and let him get up.

"What are you doing here Claude?" Alois asks me with anger in his tone. I stand up and bow to him before speaking softly, "I acquired your soul from your demon Hanna."

I hear Alois huff and shift as if he crossed his arms. "God your so dense! You put me on a roller coaster ride with my emotions, and the first time I am happy with my brother some one I know loves me, you rip that away too!" I can tell he is about cry, but he is keeping it in due to his pride. "If your wish is to continue your life with your little brother, then may I please carry him back to your mansion?" I ask humbly, trying not to show the sadness in my voice.

Alois slowly turns to me with a skeptical look. "Oh yeah, cause a corps of your dead brother in your house isn't creepy at all!" His arms are still crossed as he speaks to me with heavy sarcasm. "well it kind of is… but is a good thing I am not a corps, I just can't move to well," Luka says not catching the sarcasm. Alois' eyes widen at the sound of his little brothers voice before jumping up and runs to the source of the sound.

"Why can't he move, what happened to him?" Alois speaks accusingly. I Sigh, "My dear Alois, his body has been under ground for nearly four years, it was by luck that I could bring him back at all," I explain bending over to pick him up, "When we get to your place I will work up a calcium solution so he can get his strength back faster," I cradle Luka and lead them back home.

We come to village and rent a horse and carriage. I place Luka in the back and help Alois into the carriage before going in the front and start the slow trek to the Trancy mansion. About a day into the ride home I find my self alone pushing a tiered horse to the brink of starvation. So we find a small motel in the middle of nowhere. Of course Luka is fast asleep and Alois is wide awake when I open the carriage door. Alois jumps out of the carriage and walks right past me. I pick up the sleeping Luka and carefully cradle him in my arms. We walk to the room and I set up the bed for Alois and his little brother. They climb in and I feed Alois some dinner I bought from the cook. I place the meal at the end table and walk to the window and sit down on the window sill.

I hear Alois walk up behind me, and leans against the wall looking out the window. All the way here we haven't spoken a word to me since our spat by his grave. "Thank you," Alois says to me. I am shocked. He speaks! I turn to him keeping my face emotionless. "For what?" I ask him prying he can't the uncertainty, the nervousness, or the emotions that are swelling up in me.

"Well, for.." Alois stops and thinks for a moment, "For bring me and Luka back to life, for helping Luka, for saving me from the deep dark world I was descended to, and for getting us all the food, and, and, and everything else…" Alois says as he lets his head drop slightly. His normal prideful look falls and makes him look like he was about to cry.

I move my legs and take his hands with out thinking, thankfully he doesn't pull away. "No need to thank me, I did it all for a reason. And they all involve making you and your brother feel better," I tell him.

To my surprise Alois walks into me and puts his hands on my shoulders and pulls me into a small hug. I hug him back and ask kindly, "What is really wrong?" he lays his head on my shoulder and whispers, "why did you do this? You never really cared about me. Why couldn't you at least have enough decency to not bring me back into that kind of life?"

Alois is shockingly calm as he is asking the questions, but I reached my breaking point. I pull away from the hug and look at with a sincere look. "I am so sorry. For everything. For the pain I caused you, the Hell I put you through, and for not keeping you safe when you are the most important thing to ever come into my life," I say. I don't know if it is a good thing that I went on autopilot and said the first thing that came to my mind because Alois didn't move. He just looked at me with the blank expression he was sporting earlier.

I stare at him as his face slightly softens, almost like he was about to cry. "How much of that is true, because you always used to lie to me about those things," Alois says as his voice quivers and he tries to hold back his tears. I pull him close and hold him there. "I know, and I a sorry for that as well… But please Alois, please except me back. I am so extremely sorry for hurting you, for letting you go. I know your death was my fault, and I tried everything to repent for it. If you don't think I did enough, please tell what I need to do to be worthy of your praise again…" I say to him, nearly clinging to the back of his shirt.

Alois sits on my lap and leans into me wrapping his arms around my neck and laying his head on my shoulder. I stroke his back and hold him close. I start to hear soft sobs as he cries on my shoulder. "just please, please don't let me sleep alone!" He cries into my neck, gripping my jacket. "please don't leave me again… I don't want to be alone any more…"

I nod and rub his back. "Everything will be okay, I won't leave you again, I promise to never hurt you again," I say to him kissing his neck. Alois's sobs soften as he says, "thank you so much, for saving me from her…" his voice lowers as he falls asleep on my lap. I pick him up and put him in bed keeping my promise and staying by his side through out the night.

The trip home suddenly didn't seem nearly as long now that Alois is back to normal. We got home safely and changed him and Luka into clean clothes and gave them a hot bath. I have been giving Luka a calcium and protein mixture and he is now at full health. They run and prance together like nothing ever really happened. And I am the one to observe Alois's happiness, this time with a warm smile and open arms.


End file.
